The Lake Gardens are popular with locals, and within the park itself are a few isolated gardens, each a sight in itself. It was our misfortune that the first one we entered- the Deer Garden- was so disappointing (very drab and with barely a deer in sight) that we turned back almost from the entrance itself. The second one, the Butterfly Garden (Taman Rama) was, however, much more satisfying. It had plenty of butterflies, including some large and exquisitely colourful ones, all of them fluttering about under a huge canopy of net, with trees, plants and flowers all about. Pathways meandered through the enclosed garden, and every now and then, along the way, was the occasional surprise- a little wooden table with bright scarlet hibiscus flowers, sprayed with a solution of honey, supposed to supplement the butterflies’ diet. And there were other diversions, not all of them connected with lepidoptera: small birdcages; ponds filled with koi (a Japanese carp), turtles and terrapins- all are part of the jumble. The exit leads through a huge and well-labelled collection of butterflies, moths, beetles, arachnids, grasshoppers and whatnot- some beautiful, some masters of the art of disguise, many downright creepy, but most very interesting.

Another of the gardens within the Lake Gardens is the Orchid Garden- we were very keen on seeing this, but fate decided to play a mean trick on us, and we couldn’t find it (yes, sounds crazy, but there’s a shortage of signboards around, and very few people were in the park- and those who were there didn’t understand English). Things turned out for the best, though – having lost our way, we ended up at what is easily the best of the Lake Gardens’ attractions, the splendid Islamic Arts Museum (there’s a separate journal entry for this; it’s definitely one of Kuala Lumpur’s top sights).

Entry to the Lake Gardens is free, but you’ll have to pay entry fees to visit the various sights within the gardens. Entry to the Islamic Art Museum, for instance is RM8, while entry to the Butterfly Garden is RM10.

Altough walking is obviously the preferred mode of locomotion in this area, a shuttle bus is thoughtfully provided to those weak of foot.

A few attractions speckle the large area; worth mentioning are the Orchid Gardens, where you can find a blessed shade from the noontime sun and saturate your senses with the explosion of colors. Just across lies the Bird Park, a large area, where a multitude of magnificent, tropical birds spend their time watching tourists with a smug expressions of superiority.

A Deer Park and Butterfly Park are also to be found in the immediate area, where a number of cute, colorful and/or furry animals are kept on display for your pleasure. No dangerous, disgusting or creepy beasts have hitherto been found worthy a park of their own, which might prove a slight disappointment for your 10-year old son. The zoological gardens might be able to help you there, tho.

The National Monument is placed on a hillside in the northern part of the Lake Gardens, commemorating the ass-whopping delivered to the Communists during the Emergency (for more info about these troubled times, consult your local guidebook). Worth a brief look, as it provides a great view of the Gardens and KL itself.

National Planetarium is one of the other sites worth visiting in the nearby area, offering science shows and IMAX movie performances.